Work in Progress
by Shinra-ex-SOLDIER
Summary: Togami and Fukawa are slowly starting to bond in between at work. Slowly… but surely./ Prompt: TogaFuka bonding set in Future Foundation days.


_Togami and Fukawa are slowly starting to bond in between at work. Slowly… but surely._

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Right after graduation, they joined straight into the workforce just like any responsible contributing citizen to society would. It was the typical move for graduates. You know, normal expected stuff.

Except they were technically high school graduates.

Except there wasn't exactly a functioning society at the moment.

Except there wasn't anything normal about this.

They didn't just graduate either. They _survived._

And what do they have to do right after all that trauma? Get a job apparently. It's kind of sad when to think of the trade-off that they don't even have the luxury to take a well deserved break but instead, they dive headfirst into work already. That part of society hasn't changed unfortunately. At least the normalcy was kind of comforting in its own way. And hey, they got white collar jobs even though they're just high school graduates so that's got to be worth bragging rights. The downside was that the closest people they could brag that about also have the same job so it didn't have the same effect. How old were they even exactly? Well, not that it mattered much. There was no such thing as legal age anymore, or laws for that matter.

Besides, they were only applying for one job and the organization seemed okay with them just being high school graduates. Granted of course that they did graduate from a high school life of mutual killing. Not sure how that would translate into work experience. At least they didn't ask for paper anymore. They didn't exactly have a diploma, or did they? They couldn't remember. They were kind of lax with recruitment. The standards reached an all time low ever since the world basically kind of ended. Well, it was still technically there but politically, economically, socially, et al. it was still technically dead. There weren't many job openings, and the pay and benefits packages weren't quite up to par but at least some organizations were recruiting. And they weren't too picky either. As long as you're not batshit crazy for despair and you're alive, congratulations! You've basically qualified for the job automatically.

And there's also the fine print of no murderers allowed.

Hence, the current frustration of Touko Fukawa, a _part-timer_ working for Future Foundation.

Out of all six of them survivors, she was the odd one out. Everyone else was working full time and doing boring but important paperwork for the future of Japan or of the world, whichever was more meaningful. Meanwhile, she was stuck doing even more boring and menial tasks like refilling the papers in the photocopier machine. And for what? For the lazy asses of ten to twenty people approximately who couldn't be bothered to do something so simple. It was a travesty. She knew that she had a weak constitution and an even weaker presence but to be reduced to a poorly written minor character in a disappointing office setting was just derogatory.

There was an obvious difference between her and the rest of her peers in terms of job description and expectations. She expected as much from the beansprout of hope whom everyone fawned over as soon as they got out. She expected maybe some from the mystery chick with her detective skills which was admittedly helpful. And she definitely expected no less from the only noble blood within their group. In fact, he shouldn't even be working at all but staying true to his white knight nature, he so graciously lowered himself to their level and reached out to offer his aid.

What she didn't expect was the other two getting in before her. Just _come on!_ Aside from swimming and her jugs, the only thing the athletic bimbo had going for her was donuts. But Fukawa had to admit that the swimmer at least had some potential, she couldn't care less on what it was but the fact remained that there was, no matter how miniscule it was. But _him_?

What did Fukawa ever do to deserve being placed in a tier below that occult moron? Even the useless idiot whose only contribution in the trials was comic relief in poor taste, the same dimwit who wasted everyone's time telling them that one of them was a ghost, the very same blockhead whose hair was most likely bigger than the size of his brain, even _that_ idiot got in full time first. And that was just _insulting_. She could obviously do better than him and yet here she was stacking papers and counting paperclips instead. This was outrageous!

Not just outrageous but this was also classic workplace _discrimination_!

Their recruiters pointed out the fact that she had a criminal record. How preposterous! She wouldn't do anything so stupid such as murder. Not to mention she always fainted at the sight of blood which would have posed a problem for her had she been a killer. But aside from the fainting being annoying, it wasn't that big of a problem because well she's not even a killer in the first place. She was the SHSL Literary Girl not the SHSL Serial Killer. Was that so hard to understand? How many times must she say it before they get it? Were they even paying attention when they were watching their class go through those trials of hell?

Fukawa didn't have a murder spree history, not her but Genocider Syo did. They were two different persons who shared only in body but not in mind. What Syo did, Fukawa certainly didn't. But of course, the higher ups couldn't comprehend even such a simple concept. How ignorant of the uneducated buffoons. Sure, the administration was all quick to decide to put her on probation because there was always the possibility of Syo pulling out her scissors to stab someone. Well, _excuse_ them! Just because she had a serial killer as another personality doesn't mean she didn't have any standards. Syo only killed the hottest of men and as far as Fukawa could tell, the guys at Future Foundation had nothing to fear.

Let's not forget that Syo was a legitimate serial killer and Byakuya-sama was a legitimate hottie and yet no murder took place the whole time she was up and about.

But did that reassure them? Apparently not. How ironic that for a world that didn't have any rules anymore, this organization sure was strict on regulations. This was one of those times where irony made for poor humor. What was their problem anyway? The rest of her peers had deemed Syo harmless enough and by "harmless" they had varying interpretations of it. But at the very least, they had all vouched that Genocider Syo wouldn't kill anyone… probably. The probability for that was as non-existent as the number of hot men within the agency who didn't have Togami as their surname. And yet still, they denied her the same job which was a totally prejudiced decision. They treated her like she had a plague. She was the post-modern equivalent of a person with all the right qualifications but didn't get the job all because of something irrelevant like having a tattoo, or in her case, having a serial killer as a split personality.

Of all the things that could have ended along with the world, they forgot to include discrimination.

So here she was, at the office headquarters _again._ Because where else would she be? Where else _could_ she be? They certainly didn't trust her with any outdoor missions. Hell, they didn't even trust her with the whole building. She only had access to certain floors and even then, she was still treated poorly. Everyone was either evasive or hostile of her. Not like she cared. Who needed them anyways? _Please,_ they weren't even worth the effort nor the aggravation. Other people didn't matter. They were all just nameless background characters anyways. As long as she could be together with her white knight then everything else was tolerable.

And _oh,_ how handsome her white knight was in his darker than the moonless night suit.

"You're drooling again." Someone commented with a dreamlike voice she knew all too well.

There he was, the SHSL Affluent Progeny, sitting at a table and staring at her with those brilliant sharp eyes.

"Try not to make a fool out of yourself any more today than you already have for the whole past years of your life." He scoffed offhandedly.

"M-my apologies, Byakuya-sama!" She said as she quickly wiped off the drool that ran down her chin. "It's just my natural reaction whenever you're nearby."

He wasn't just nearby, he was remarkably close. _They_ were miraculously close. Well, probably as close as they'll ever be. But still, incredibly _close._ They're not sharing a table or anything as scandalous as that but they were closer now than ever before. Back then, they'd be on opposite corners of the room as she stalked him while he barely acknowledged her existence. And although that was still partly true now, there's been some minor adjustments to their dynamic. As the days went by and as she tested the distance, she found her efforts rewarded with his tolerance for her presence. The gap between them was reduced day by day and inch by inch. Until they've settled meeting halfway at this distance.

They still sat at separate tables but at least the tables were beside each other now. Close but not quite.

"Don't get ahead of yourself and think of us as close. This is the minimum safe distance between someone as esteemed as I and someone as pathetic as yourself." He said haughtily as he tilted his chin upwards in pride. "Consider this an honor, peasant."

"O-of course! J-just being in the same room with you is an unattainable dream in itself which you have graced me with!" She stammered her thoughts out hastily.

"Tch." He clicked his tongue and sneered at her. "You're stuttering again. I thought I made it clear that you fix that especially in my presence."

"I-" She started but cut herself short as she felt another stuttering mess stuck at her throat.

Fukawa took a long deep breath just like she practised. Just like he told her to practice whenever she started her stuttering tic. She didn't want to disappoint him with any more mistakes. Especially not when this took his help to accomplish. Whether it was said passingly or seriously, he still swore as a Togami that he would get her to stop that infernal stutterings and even went so far as to train her speech. She wouldn't sully his glorious name by making the same mistake twice. Even if she didn't deserve his attention, she didn't want it to have gone to waste. And so she braced herself to speak again, this time she'd get it right.

Him, on the other hand, quietly waited for her to speak. Had this been during their immature period at the nightmare of a school, he wouldn't even given her a second look. He'd be cutting her off with edged insults and walked off as soon as she was in the room. But it was different now. They were different now. They've _changed._ She's learned that she has a backbone after all and that maybe not everyone was out to get her, at least not her peers. He's learned that even though he was on the highest horse, perhaps he's not so unreachable to a select few. They've learned so much from that school, from this job, and from each other.

And they're both still learning.

He would never admit that he learned anything from the peasants, after all he was Byakuya Togami, he's far more educated than any of them. But he has learned a great deal from the experience regardless of whether or not he admits it. He's learned to give second chances now and although he still needs to work with how he offers it, that was another lesson for another day. For today, he was practicing just that, second chances, as he patiently waited for her to speak in her own time. He looked like he was judging her but not entirely in a negative light. He may have been scrutinizing her but he was not looking down on her. Not anymore.

Once she felt herself calm enough, she spoke slowly and smoothly, "I'm sorry. I got too distracted and lost focus so the habit just came out."

Not one stutter to be heard. He nodded approvingly.

"Naturally. I have that effect on people. Other side effects include the crushing realization that they will never amount to someone as great as I and so they shower me with praise instead since they are unable to reach my status." He loftily agreed as he turned his eyes back to the files he had in his hands. "But I digress. There are other important matters that need my attention."

She meekly spoke up, "What are you working on this time?"

"Classified information restricted only to full-timers. In short, none of your business." He shot her down.

"Oh…" Her face fell as she deflated. "I see…" She mumbled. Rejected. Again.

And this was the true reason why she hated her part-timer status.

Fukawa could deal with being left behind in their group. Sure, why not? She wasn't that interested in that type of job nor would she be good at it. It's not like she'd be of any help anyways since her talent wasn't that much useful in the field or for anything else aside from writing romance novels. And though it was insulting that the two members of the idiot brigade got promoted before her, that wasn't enough to bring out the full depth of her spiteful frustration. She had a deeper, more urgent motive behind her hatred at the administration. Those higher ups could not possibly comprehend the tragedy they inflicted upon her when they decided to put her on probation.

What she hated the most was this professional barrier between her and her white knight.

She couldn't go on missions with him. She couldn't attend meetings with him. She couldn't even talk about assignments with him. She just _couldn't_.

The job itself wasn't that important to her but it was necessary. Aside from financial security and not to mention, food and lodging in a devastated world, it also had a more important benefit. Going full-time also meant more opportunities for her to be with him. And they just had to take that away from her too. Those higher ups think they're so right and just. _The nerve of them!_ They were just unnecessary background characters and yet they were unjustly interfering with her life. Now it was even harder to talk to him. That's why all their conversations together were so short. They didn't have any common ground to talk about and she had hoped that the job would bridge that gap. But no, she was dangerous, they said. She should be under surveillance first, they said.

Well they should stop discriminating her or _drop dead,_ whichever comes first, she said.

"This particular assignment is rather annoying and I may need something equally distasteful to swallow it down with." He grumbled in between her thoughts which prompted her back to reality. He wasn't even looking at her when he ordered her. "So go fetch me two cups of coffee."

"Two?" She asked in confusion.

"Did I stutter?" He sneered.

"R-right, two cups. I'll go on ahead now." She said as she went off before he could comment about her unintentional stutter.

It didn't take a while for her to bring back two cups of steaming coffee as she set both on his table.

"Disgusting as always." He scowled right after he took a sip. "I don't understand how you peasants can stand this inedible concoction. Once I rebuild the Togami conglomerate, the first thing I shall abolish is this abomination known as instant coffee."

Her face fell. She was certain that she used the right mix, the blend that he hated the least, which she found out through trial and error. Did she make a mistake and ruined the whole thing? She meekly murmured, "Is it not to your liking? I could go back and make another one."

He looked at her calculatedly for one full second and then sighed. "Nevermind. No amount of tinkering can fix this. Not with such unpalatable base ingredients." He said as he took another sip and scowled again. "This will suffice. This is as good as it gets."

Was that praise? She sheepishly blushed. "So… you like it?"

"I never said such a thing. I dislike anything instant." He declared vehemently as he pushed up his eyeglasses, light reflected off it so it was hard to tell what his true expression was when he said, "However, I will admit that at the very least, this cup of coffee is... tolerable."

It was! It was actual praise! Fukawa looked at him adoringly and then shrilled, "Byakuya-sama!"

He's already grown accustomed to her antics and her shrieks of devotion.

He clicked his tongue again. "Nevertheless I can only stomach one cup per day." As he said this, he not so discreetly pulled his mug closer to him, never touching the second mug. "So take the other one. Drink it or throw it away. I couldn't care less as to what you do with it."

She looked at him disbelievingly. "Are you... giving this to me?"

"I'm merely disposing the excess. Interpret it as you wish." He scoffed off.

"Thank you." She breathed in awe as she tenderly took the mug of coffee and handled it with such care like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Whatever. Now get out of my sight." He barked, and though his words were harsh, he didn't sound as spiteful as he would have. He waved her off. "I've already exceeded today's quota of mingling with peasants."

"Understood. You have a lot of work to do." She nodded agreeably since she didn't want to be a bother and ruin whatever progress they've already made between each other. "I'll be on my way now." And with that, she started walking away.

But before she could sit down, his voice stopped her.

"Oh, and Fukawa." He calmly called out to her but his eyes never strayed away from his work.

She perked up and unconsciously leaned towards his direction. "Yes, Byakuya-sama?"

"Clear your schedule tonight." He ordered her with a straight face. "Perhaps you may serve some use to me preparing refreshments as I pull off another all-nighter."

"I…" She paused. And with all the courage she could muster, a determined look dawned on her face as she boldly declared, "I won't let you down!"

The two of them still have a long way to go. After all, even if they do have jobs now, they were still fresh high school graduates and that school hardly taught them anything to do with their current occupations. There's still so much for them to do and for them to learn. But they're getting there. Slowly. Day by day. They're getting closer. Slowly. Inch by inch. They're getting together even if they don't know it yet. Slowly. Piece by piece. Slowly… but surely.

They're still working on it.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

 **Shinra-ex-SOLDIER**

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

 **EXTRA**

 _Shocking Development_

"Rejoice, peasant." Byakuya announced proudly with a smug look on his face. "For you are about to receive something from someone of such greatness."

Fukawa, on the other hand was still in the middle of processing his words and if this was reality or another one of her daydreams. "...A gift?" She asked hesitantly at first but then as if a switch had been flipped, she got all red and excited. "Byakuya-sama, you shouldn't have." She cooed.

"You're right, I shouldn't have. In fact, I shouldn't even be here, seen with you either. And yet here we are in this situation. How delightful." He implored sarcastically. "So take it before I regret my choices in life. And I will see to it that you are punished should I become the first Togami to go back on his words." As he said this, he unceremoniously dropped the aforementioned item on her desk.

Out of all the things she had fantasized over Byakuya-sama's gift, and _fantasized_ she did, never in her wildest dreams did she expect him to get her this surprise.

"A taser…" She carefully took it and examined it down to the finest details.

It was basically your typical taser. There was nothing unique about it appearance-wise, no special engravings, no customized color, not even a bow wrapped around it to signify it as a present. She had to dig deep into her fantasies in order to decode the surely heartfelt message behind this that Byakuya-sama had thought of. There was no other use for a taser other than for self-defense. Could it be? He realized that he couldn't always be there to protect her so he gave her this to remind her of him and of his protection. As expected of him, he truly was her white knight!

She squealed in delight. "How thoughtful of you, Byakuya-sama! This is surely an item that's not only a functional charm but a promise that you are always looking out for me." She hugged the taser close to her chest. "I shall cherish this with my life!"

"Don't be ridiculous. That is no charm nor promise. In fact, you don't even need it for self-defense."

"W-what? I don't?" She asked confusedly.

"Of course not. No one here would dare come near within a square foot of you, much less try their hands at violence." He scoffed. "You are going to use that for yourself. Or more precisely, on yourself."

Well, that made sense.

Wait.

WHAAAAAAAAAAT?

"Don't look so surprised." In contrast to her flabbergasted expression, he was perfectly calm.

"But you just basically told me that I should go e-electrocute myself." She said a bit shakily. "I mean, I'm not saying I won't. I would. But only for you. Only if you wished it." And then in a smaller voice, she spoke, "But is it alright for me to ask why?"

"Are you questioning me?" He looked at her levelly.

"Eep!" She flinched.

"Hmph. It looks like you've finally grown a spine. About time too." He remarked snidely.

"Byakuya-sama…" She mumbled as she stared back speechless. Was that praise? Did he just praise her? Did she hear him right?

"To answer your question, we are going to do an experiment. Or a series of experiments depending on the results of this first one." He crossed his arms as he explained the situation. "You can control when you change into Syo but you can't control when you change back."

"I can't help it, you know…" She whimpered weakly.

"Oh, believe me, I _know_." He intoned. "It's annoying to be honest. And I'm the person greatest inconvenienced by your barbaric split personality. So you need to quickly fix that."

"But… how? I've tried to do that before but as you can see, I never did figure it out." She held her head with both hands like she always did whenever she was forced to be defensive. She murmured cynically, "Maybe it's just one of those things that are impossible."

"Ha! For you, perhaps. But not for me." He lauded himself as he stood straighter and prouder, giving an aura of not only high authority but also of certified competency. "For I am Byakuya Togami. Nothing is impossible for me. Everything is within my reach."

He sounded so convincing that Fukawa wanted to believe in him instead of doubting herself. "Anything is possible for you… Even controlling Genocider Syo?"

"Even _her_." He declared confidently. And he then proceeded to encourage her. "Syo is a part of you so deal with her properly. She is not a weakness but an asset. Don't let her hold you back. Take control of what's rightfully yours. Master her."

As he shot bullets of truth after truth, she felt whatever small amount of self-esteem she had grow and blossom into unwavering determination.

"She is not the master of your body. _I_ am."

Fukawa's not exactly sure whether he actually said that last one or if it was just another one of her fantasies. Not like it made a difference, she'd still devote her heart and body to him anyways. And now he was telling her that she could do more. She could actually become useful. She had potential. It was possible and he was offering to help her with the process. The fact that he wasn't just paying attention to her but also taking a step further by lending her his aid was not just some fantasy she made up with this time. This time this was real.

She's also sure that this next line was real because she followed his lips move as he said them.

"They can't keep using that pathetic excuse to hold you down if it won't hold water." He said matter-of-factly. "Now, hurry up and join us. We won't wait for you forever."

He may have been doing this for his own selfish motive but she liked to think that he was sincerely trying to help her while at it too.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

 **OMAKE**

 _Killer Instinct_

"BYAKUYA-SAMAAAAAAAAAA!" An annoying shriek pierced through the heavens. They were on the rooftop by the way. "My darling! My honey! My MASTER!"

"Must she always be so dramatic?" He sighed exasperatedly. He was also coincidentally very far away from her.

"Is it just me or we keep meeting? No, wait. Even better… It must be DESTINY!" Syo declared so as she bellowed it out with conviction. "We're just fated to be together! Tied by the red string of fate! Now that's something even I won't cut!"

He just tapped his foot in impatience. "Are you done with your senseless babbling?"

"Oh? What's this? You want to get in on the action already?" She exclaimed as she flushed hard and looked at him with crazed eyes. "My! How absolutely bold! Consider me TURNED ON!"

"How absolutely unflattering." He sneered as he crossed his arms. "Can we just skip to the part where you run towards me at full speed? Unlike you, I prefer not wasting my time."

"Is that an invitation?" Her abnormally long tongue licked her lips like a predator who had found its prey. "Then there's no way in hell am I passing this up. Kyehahahaha!" She cackled shortly and then in the blink of an eye, she lunged forward and shrieked, "I'm digging right in!"

But just before she could reach him, she fainted just within an inch of his face.

He just stared at the spectacle with a bored look and then impassively checked his watch. "Right on time."

When Syo woke up, Fukawa had already replaced her.

She didn't look too confused but she did seem anxious. "Did… did we do it?" She asked hesitantly.

"The results of all our experiments so far have proven worthwhile and with this last test, we can now confirm the fruits of our labor." He looked her squarely in the eyes. "This has been a success."

"A success…" She repeated disbelievingly. "Does that mean?"

"You now have some form of control over your life." He smirked. "Congratulations."

She swore she wasn't the only one who was proud in that moment.

* * *

For **mana-sputachu** who's always been cheering me on. I don't think you know just how much happy I was when you read and commented on my previous fics. That gave me hope to last for a long while. I never got to properly thank you so here's the TogaFuka fic you requested before. I hope you like it, because this is for you and I really want you to feel appreciated.

This is also my first time writing for the ship so I'm game for some constructive criticism. I had fun writing this, especially the ranting part at the start, hahahaha. I hope you enjoyed this as well!


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